Why Educate?

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We're going to be in the book of Proverbs this morning.
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I realize that we have been in school now for at least a month.
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I know, Tony, you went back even earlier than that.
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And as we come back to the school year, there are always changes that come about.
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You've gotten new teachers, maybe you've moved from the elementary school to the middle school or from the middle school to the high school, or maybe you're changing schools altogether.
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I don't know, but there are always changes.
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We've had a lot of these where I teach.
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We've been on a normal seven-period day schedule now since the dawn of time, and this is the first time this year that we have a rotating schedule.
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Three of the days are normal days in that we have seven class periods and two of them are block days.
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That's been a little challenging to get used to because you get into a habit and can't do that now.
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Your habit has to last a week and not just a day.
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And so as we're beginning a new school year, I wanted to take the opportunity, and Keith and the other elders were willing, that we take a day and have a message, kind of as a back-to-school message.
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So that's why we're going to tackle this today from Proverbs Chapter 4.
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The school classroom is at the center of a battle for the minds of students.
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Arguments rage about where parents should send their children for an education as well as what should be included in the curriculum.
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Should creationism be taught beside evolution? What types of student conduct should schools report to parents? What should graduation requirements be? What works of literature should an English class teach? Believe it or not, I came across an article on the Internet where the author advocates that all students attend public schools.
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Consider the following quote from that article.
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Quote, it seems to me that if every single parent sent every single child to public school, public schools would improve.
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This would not happen immediately.
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It could take generations.
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Your children and grandchildren might get mediocre educations in the meantime, but it will be worth it for the eventual common good.
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End quote.
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This author wants all students to be sent to public schools regardless of what the parents want.
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The author also states that parents who do not send their children to public schools are, quote, bad.
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End quote.
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The author indicates that a couple of generations of mediocre education are a small price to pay for better public schools.
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Now I do not think that the author wants children to receive a poor education, but I do not think that this author understands that the philosophy that drives many, but not all, public school advocates is in opposition to the philosophy that many parents and some teachers believe should be used to raise and educate their children and students.
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However, it is not just schools that might have a philosophy contrary to that of many parents.
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Sometimes the court system works against parents as well.
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Consider the following recent developments regarding the right of parents to raise their children in accordance with their own personal religious beliefs.
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The state of California now bans therapy that aims to convince children who claim to be homosexuals to change their orientation.
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And this law has been upheld as constitutional by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which is a federal court.
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According to the article, the court said, quote, that California legislators had a legitimate reason to bar therapists and counselors in the state from helping youth resist romantic feelings toward those of the same sex, end quote.
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Amazing, isn't it? Yes, the First Amendment to the United States Constitution states, Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
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Yes, we as a nation have long understood that this principle should apply to state legislatures as well as the United States Congress.
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However, this court has decided that the rights of parents to pass on their religious beliefs to their children, and to counsel their children to live in a manner consistent with their religious beliefs, is subservient to their children having the right to live in a manner which the Bible in Romans 126 calls unnatural.
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As I understand the law, the law will prevent school counselors from counseling students against homosexuality.
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Some people are convinced that religion has no place in education.
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Consider the following comment a reader posted on a website in response to a letter to the editor about the article that I already quoted above, indicating that all parents should send their kids to public schools.
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Quote, and religious education? That's what the home plus church on Sunday is for, end quote.
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In other words, according to this person, parents should be teaching their children religion at home, and at church, while religious training has no place in the school.
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And many people agree with this view.
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The person is partially correct.
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Parents should be providing religious training for their children at home.
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However, should parents have to tolerate children being educated according to philosophies with which they disagree? Many people think that education should be limited to the three R's, reading, writing, and arithmetic.
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The truth is that education is not really about the three R's, as so many try to claim and want to believe.
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And we're going to see that truth in our text this morning.
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So why should parents use a public education system that is opposed to their beliefs? America is a very diverse society when it comes to religion.
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Of this there is no doubt.
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With families coming from a wide variety of backgrounds, these families are going to be opposed to a system of education for their children that is openly opposed to their system of thought.
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Therefore, to serve people from a variety of religious backgrounds, elements of an educational system are going to be removed in order to accommodate this variety of belief systems.
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Consider the following quote.
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The tendency is to hold that this system must be altogether secular.
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The atheistic doctrine is gaining currency even among professed Christians and even among some bewildered Christian ministers that an education provided by the common government should be entirely emptied of all religious character.
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The Protestants object to the government schools being used for the purpose of inculcating the doctrines of the Catholic Church.
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And Romanists object to the use of Protestant versions of the Bible and to the inculcation of peculiar doctrines of Catholicism.
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The Jews protest against the schools being used to inculcate Christianity in any form and the atheists and agnostics protest against any teaching that implies the existence and moral government of God.
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It is capable of exact demonstration that if every part in the state has the right of excluding from the public schools whatever he does not believe to be true, then he that believes most must give way to him that believes least.
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And then he that believes least must give way to him that believes absolutely nothing, no matter in how small a minority the atheists or the agnostics may be.
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It is self-evident that on this scheme, if it is consistently and persistently carried out in all parts of the country, the United States system of national popular education will be the most efficient and wide instrument for the propagation of atheism which the world has ever seen." That's the end of the quote.
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Now I messed it up a little bit, but you got the important parts of it.
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The writer's name was A.
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A.
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Hodge, and he wrote this in 1887.
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Do you think he was prophetic? The logic is undeniable.
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Religion is going to be removed from an educational system that serves families from a variety of religious backgrounds.
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Such a system will, in the end, appear to be atheistic.
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What has happened to our system here in America? It has reached the point where any reference to God is challenged, from singing Christmas carols to even including the statement, in the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag.
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So what are parents up against? Consider the following quick math.
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A typical school day is about eight hours.
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It totals about 40 hours a week that the students spend at school.
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Compare this to the amount of time your children spend at home with you.
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Mornings are most often spent getting ready for school, so there is little interaction between parents and children on Monday through Friday before school.
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In the evening, parents often get home from work about six, some later, some earlier.
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If children are in bed on average by about 9 p.m., again, some earlier, some later, then parents have only about three hours each evening with their children.
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Take away homework time and supper time, and this three hours per evening is reduced to very little time that parents actually have to spend training their kids.
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This leaves the weekends.
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If your family is at all like mine, Saturdays are spent running errands or other activities.
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This leaves Sundays.
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If Sunday morning and or evening is the only time you and your family are in church, and you do get a couple of hours instruction during the week, then at most your children are probably going to receive four to five hours of training each week.
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How can families compete with an alternative system when the alternative system has eight times the amount of time with your children per week? Now, this is not to say that children will be forever ruined if they attend public schools.
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Perhaps you live in a neighborhood where the teachers and administrators have not bought into the man-centered education methods that are so prevalent in our public schools.
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Perhaps you are blessed to be in a school that strives to teach high standards and believes in holding students accountable for their learning.
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The truth is there are individual teachers and administrators in the public school system who do not subscribe to man-centered learning rather than God-centered learning.
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Right, Tony? Such places and people do exist.
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I speak from my own experience.
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My sisters and I all attended public schools while growing up in central Illinois.
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Granted that public schools then are not the same as those today, but the truth is I had some very good teachers.
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These folks worked diligently, I think, to give me and my sisters a solid education.
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In fact, many of these teachers I would consider to be role models for the kind of teacher I want to be for my students.
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Although I attended a public school, I cannot recall one instance in which any of my teachers recommended that I not attend church or that I be disrespectful to my parents.
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The truth is there are private schools, both secular and Christian, that need to improve regarding the quality and manner of education a child can receive at that school.
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The truth is there are parents who homeschool, who need to improve regarding the quality and manner of education that their children are receiving.
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I do not think there is a one-size-fits-all approach to education.
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God made us to be unique individuals.
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Students have strengths and weaknesses.
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Think about those of you who are parents and you have more kids than one.
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They have strengths and weaknesses.
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They have differences.
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God has given to each of us abilities and talents that differ from each other, therefore it should not come as a surprise to learn that students do learn in a variety of ways and at different paces.
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So please understand, I am not going to tell you which method to use to educate your children.
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I am not here to advocate for homeschooling, private schooling, or public schooling.
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However, I am going to advocate that parents become educated about the system of education they are using to educate their children and how that system lines up with God's Word.
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I think that regardless of which setting you use, you will find there is need for improvement in order to line up more closely with God's Word.
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Regardless of the differences in students, the truth is that God knows the human heart better than we do.
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He knows our heart better than we know our own heart.
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Therefore, it is to His Word that we should turn in order to study and examine how best to educate students.
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This, I believe, is something parents, teachers, and students should all do.
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That is, examine the scriptures to learn how education is to be done.
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However, the how we educate is another topic for another time.
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The question that we are going to address this morning is, why even educate? Now, if this is the question that we are addressing this morning, then why spend so much time talking about competing philosophies? The reason is because parents need to understand their responsibility to learn about the philosophy under which they are agreeing to educate their children.
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So why educate? Other than the fact that the state compels us to educate our children, why should we educate our children? What should be the goal we should have for our students? I think our text here in Proverbs 4 provides us with some wonderful insight into this question.
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So let us turn to the text.
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And as we usually do, I would ask that you stand, please, as we read.
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So from Proverbs 4, verse 1.
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Hear, O sons, the instruction of a father, and give attention that you may gain understanding.
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For I give you sound teaching.
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Do not abandon my instruction.
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When I was a son to my father, tender and the only son in the sight of my mother, then he taught me and said to me, Let your heart hold fast my words.
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Keep my commandments and live.
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Acquire wisdom, acquire understanding.
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Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
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Do not forsake her, and she will guard you.
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Love her, and she will watch over you.
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The beginning of wisdom is, acquire wisdom.
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And with all your acquiring, get understanding.
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Prize her, and she will exalt you.
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She will honor you if you embrace her.
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She will place on your head a garland of grace.
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She will present you with a crown of beauty.
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Let's pray.
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Father, thank you for the opportunity once again to gather together and to open your word and to learn.
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Lord, give us eyes to see, give us ears to hear.
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And I pray, Father, that you would enable me to speak only truth.
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Lord, let us search the Scriptures to know that which we ought to do to bring the glory to you.
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For it's in the name of Jesus we pray.
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Amen.
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Have a seat, please.
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Now, children, I hope you're listening too, because most of this is for you.
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See, the passage begins with the command to children.
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In verse 1, Hear, O sons, the instruction of a father.
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This is not just the act of hearing, but hearing here includes understanding, which means obedience.
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Our children are not simply to listen to what we tell them just for the sake of them being able to claim, Mom, I heard you.
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Dad, I heard you.
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Rather, our children should have the goal of learning from what we as their parents tell them.
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They should strive to learn from our successes and our failures.
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We should teach them lessons, both positive and negative, that we have learned.
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Our children should be intentional about learning.
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Note the text says, and give attention.
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This command is to children.
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The command to children is to hear and give attention to their parents.
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Parents should not have to instruct children to pay attention.
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Children should be doing this on their own, because God's word instructs that it be so.
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Of course, we know what the reality is.
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Human beings are selfish, and we do not want to submit ourselves to another.
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Our children are no different than us in this regard.
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I'm sure we were all perfect children, weren't we? We never needed to be disciplined.
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But our children are no different than we are.
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But this does not change God's instruction to us as their parents or to them as our children.
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And just as children are to listen and give attention to their parents, so they should also listen and give attention to their teachers.
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Children should want to be trained.
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They should want to be taught.
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Note that this verse includes purpose.
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That you may gain understanding, is what the text says.
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Here is one of the themes of today's message.
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Education is about gaining understanding.
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Education is not about the three R's.
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As you know from your own life experience, the three R's are tools.
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And tools are used to accomplish tasks.
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We should be teaching our children how to use the three R's in order to accomplish tasks and achieve goals.
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Our students should see in us that we actually want them to be useful, contributing members of society.
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Therefore, it is in their best interest to listen and give attention to our instruction.
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This is how verse two begins.
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For I give you sound teaching, says the text.
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The word for denotes purpose.
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It is another way of saying you should do this because.
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You see students should listen to their parents and teachers and give attention to them because we strive to give them sound teaching.
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Sound teaching is truth.
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We want them to know truth.
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We strive to teach them truth because we want them to know truth.
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Nothing is gained by lying to our students, not to mention the fact that it is unbiblical.
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Our students should see in their parents and teachers the reality that we want them to know truth.
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We want them to be able to discern truth from error.
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We want our students to desire to know truth, to seek after truth, and to cherish truth.
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Why is this? Read on in verse two.
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The text says do not abandon my instruction.
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If we are teaching them truth, if we are teaching them sound teaching, then we want them to abide by this instruction, live by this instruction, and not to abandon our instruction.
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We want our students to live according to truth and not be carried away by the ever-changing whims of false teaching.
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When should instruction of our children begin? Look at verses three and four.
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The text says when I was a son to my father, tender and the only child on the side of my mother, then he taught me and said to me, let your heart hold fast my words, keep my commandments, and live.
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Training begins when the child is young.
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It has to.
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It's amazing the things you see as a parent in your own children.
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You see them behave in a certain way, and you know I didn't teach them that.
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My wife didn't teach them that.
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The cat didn't teach them to do that.
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Where did it come from? It comes from that depraved heart.
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They do it naturally.
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Note the solemnness of education.
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The text says let your heart hold fast my words.
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Our instructions to our children should be so meaningful that they hold them fast.
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In other words, they do not cease to abide by what we teach them.
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They should recognize that in our instructions are words that they can live by and enjoy a fruitful life.
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The next phrase drives this point home.
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Keep my commandments and live, says the text.
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To keep the commandments is to obey them continuously.
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To keep the commandments and live is to live your life consistent with the commandments.
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Keeping God's commandments will oftentimes keep us out of trouble.
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Keeping his commandments will keep us from bad habits and activities that will cause damage to ourselves and our families.
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We should be teaching our children God's commandments.
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We should be teaching them to live according to God's word.
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In turn, our children, our students should recognize the value of these truths and live by them.
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Consider Proverbs chapter 7, just a couple pages to the right, verses 1 through 3.
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The text says, my son, keep my words.
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Treasure my commandments within you.
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Keep my commandments and live, and my teaching is the apple of your eye.
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Bind them on your fingers.
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Write them on the tablet of your heart.
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Note the instruction of a parent to his child.
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Keep my words.
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Treasure my commandments.
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Keep my commandments and live.
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Keep my teaching as the apple of your eye.
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Bind them on your fingers.
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Write them on your heart.
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The student has the responsibility to follow sound teaching, just as the parent or teacher has the responsibility to provide sound teaching.
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We should value sound teaching so much that we strive to pass it on to our children.
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Our children should desire sound teaching so much that acquiring it becomes the focus of their lives.
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Now come back to our text in Proverbs 4 and look in verse 5.
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Acquire wisdom.
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Acquire understanding, says the text.
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So far in our passage, the student has been commanded to not abandon his father's instruction, hold fast his father's words, and keep his father's commandments and live.
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The next command to the student is acquire wisdom.
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A dictionary includes the following definition of wisdom.
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Knowledge of what is true or right coupled with just judgment as to action, sagacity, discernment, or insight.
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Wisdom is more than just knowing facts.
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Wisdom is using facts to arrive at sound decisions, using facts to act rightly, and using facts in order to live a godly life.
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The student is then commanded to acquire understanding.
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A dictionary states the following about the word understanding.
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It is a mental process of a person who comprehends.
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It is comprehension.
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It is personal interpretation.
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It is intellectual faculties, intelligence and mind, superior power of discernment, enlightened intelligence, knowledge of or familiarity with a particular thing, skill in dealing with or handling something.
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You see, notice that understanding is more than just having facts or knowing a procedure.
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Understanding is using these facts with skill, discernment, or intelligence.
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Here in verse 5, students are commanded to acquire wisdom and understanding.
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Wisdom and understanding are to be cherished and sought after.
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Consider Proverbs 16.16 which says how much better it is to get wisdom than gold, and to get understanding is to be chosen above silver.
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The world values gold and silver.
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The world values material things.
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But how many empty lives have been lived in pursuit of gold and silver? The Bible says that wisdom is better than gold, and that understanding is better than silver.
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What God commands us to seek is more valuable than what the world says to seek.
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This is what parents and teachers are to pass on to those children and students who are in their charge.
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Now we are beginning to get at the answer to the question, why educate? Our students need wisdom.
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Our students need understanding.
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Our teaching to them is to be filled with wisdom and understanding.
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Note the end of verse 5.
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Scripture says, Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
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The mouths of parents and teachers should be filled with wisdom and understanding.
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This is what children and students are being commanded to seek after.
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Children and students are being commanded to not turn away from the words spoken by parents and teachers.
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Therefore, we cannot help but conclude that our words to our children and students are to be filled with wisdom and understanding.
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Is this what your children hear from you? Is this what your children hear from their teachers? Do your children hear words that are worthy of being kept? Do they hear words from you that are more valuable than gold or silver? Again, look at the text.
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The verse says that students are not to turn away from our words.
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They are not to forget our words.
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Are our words worthy of being held in such high regard? Are we teaching them wisdom? Are we teaching them understanding? Go on to verse 6.
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And notice that the commands do not stop.
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Do not forsake her, and she will guard you.
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Love her, and she will wash over you.
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Children and students are commanded to not forsake wisdom.
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They are commanded to love wisdom.
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To not forsake something means that you never separate yourself from it.
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To love something means more than emotions, it means action.
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And that action here is continuously to pursue wisdom.
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Both of these commands in verse 6 are exemplified by God himself.
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I want you to hear this.
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Deuteronomy chapter 31 and verse 6.
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Moses tells Israel the following before they begin to go into the promised land.
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And remember, Moses was not going to get to go.
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Moses had disobeyed God.
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And it had to do with him striking a rock when he was told to speak to the rock.
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But Moses told the people in Deuteronomy 31 and 6.
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Be strong and courageous.
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Do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you.
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He will not fail you or forsake you.
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Joshua chapter 1 and verse 5.
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So Moses has now passed away.
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The rains have been passed to Joshua.
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And he is getting ready to lead them into the promised land.
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And he tells the people, no man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life.
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Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you.
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I will not fail you or forsake you.
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God speaking through Joshua.
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And Joshua communicating that to the people.
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God will not forsake his own.
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The scripture also says that God loves his own.
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Romans chapter 5 and verse 8.
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But God demonstrates his own love toward us.
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And that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
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1 John chapter 4 and verse 10.
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And this is love.
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Not that we loved God.
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But that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins.
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You see in both of these last two verses.
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In Romans 5 and in 1 John 4.
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We see that God's love is coupled with action.
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In Romans 5 and 8 we read that he demonstrated his love.
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In 1 John 4 and 10 we read that he sent his son.
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God's love is demonstrated by action.
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That cannot be overemphasized.
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Our love of wisdom should be demonstrated by action.
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Are we reading God's word? Are we meditating on God's word? Are we praying to God? Are we engaging in quality conversations with fellow believers? We can learn a lot just by talking to each other.
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Are we doing those things that indicate that we love wisdom? Do we demonstrate for our children actions that describe one who is seeking wisdom? Are we teaching our children by both words and deeds to do those things that are indicative of loving wisdom? If not, today is a great day to begin.
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Note also the promises that come in this verse.
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Scripture says do not forsake her and she will guard you.
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Love her and she will watch over you.
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Wisdom and understanding will keep us from making many mistakes.
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Wisdom and understanding give us the ability to discern truth from error.
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Wisdom and understanding can protect us from acting in error.
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Go back and look at these first six verses and note the many commands that God has given us regarding seeking instruction.
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Read over these commands beginning in verse one.
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In this list below where each item says father's words or instructions, replace it with the word wisdom or understanding in your own mind.
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Here's the list.
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Hear your father's instructions.
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Give attention to your father's instructions.
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Do not abandon your father's instructions.
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Let your heart hold fast to your father's words.
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Keep your father's commandments.
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Acquire wisdom.
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Acquire understanding.
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Do not forget your father's words.
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Do not turn away from your father's words.
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Do not forsake your father's words.
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Love your father's words.
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So far in these first six verses we read no less than eleven commands.
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I don't have enough fingers for that.
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Regarding children seeking the instruction of their parents.
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Recall in verse five it said acquire wisdom and acquire understanding.
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Now look at verse seven.
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The text says the beginning of wisdom is acquire wisdom.
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And with all your acquiring get understanding.
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Once again we see these two jewels paired together, wisdom and understanding.
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The King James Version translates verse seven a little differently.
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It says wisdom is the principal thing.
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Therefore get wisdom.
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And with all thy getting get understanding.
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Note the emphasis placed upon getting wisdom.
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It is the principal thing.
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It is the primary thing.
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It is the treasured thing.
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Remember Proverbs 16.16.
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Wisdom is to be treasured above gold.
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And understanding above silver.
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Scripture pairs wisdom and understanding multiple times.
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We see this in Proverbs.
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Proverbs chapter five and verse one.
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My son give attention to my wisdom.
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Incline your ear to my understanding.
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Proverbs 22.17.
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Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise.
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And apply your mind to my knowledge.
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The book of Proverbs repeats this great truth.
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Wisdom and understanding are to be prized.
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Therefore seek them.
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Remember all scripture is inspired by God.
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So if a truth is spoken one time, it is important.
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What happens if it is spoken two times? Or three times? Or four times? Do you think it matters? I think so.
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Look in verse eight of her text.
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Prize her and she will exalt you.
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She will honor you if you embrace her.
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There is great reward for being obedient to God and his word.
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Prize wisdom and she will exalt you.
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She will honor you if you embrace her.
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Recall verse six.
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Where it says do not forsake her.
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And she will guard you.
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Love her and she will watch over you.
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Wisdom and understanding will exalt you.
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Honor you.
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Guard you.
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And watch over you.
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Think back on your own lives.
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I am sure there is someone in your past that you would have considered wise.
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We respect those people, don't we? We recognize wise people.
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Think back on these people that you think were wise.
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What kind of impact did they have upon you? We should want wise people to impact our children.
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We should want for our children to become wise so that they can impact the lives of others.
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Should we not as parents be the first wise people that our children encounter? Should not teachers also be wise in order to impact our students? Now we come to verse nine.
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She will place on your head a garland of grace.
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She will present you with a crown of beauty.
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Garland and a crown denote honor.
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Before we provide an answer to the question why educate, let us think for a moment about true wisdom.
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True wisdom cannot help but point to the work of Jesus Christ.
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You might think that's strange considering we do not read anything in our passage here about salvation.
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However, I think salvation is the logical and natural result of true wisdom.
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You see, one who is wise recognizes his limits.
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One who is wise will examine himself accurately.
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And you cannot help but reach the conclusion that you're a sinner.
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One who is wise will recognize that he cannot render himself righteous before God and is therefore in need of the Savior.
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One who is wise will study God's word for in it he will recognize true wisdom.
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And it is in God's word that we read of the work of Jesus Christ.
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And this brings us to the answer to the question, why educate? The answer is that we want our children to become wise.
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We want our children to gain understanding.
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True wisdom and true understanding lead to Jesus Christ.
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And it is in the arms of Christ where we will find protection.
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What do we read about wisdom? Wisdom will guard us.
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Wisdom will watch over us.
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Christ's words are wisdom.
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His words are truth.
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And what more could a parent or teacher want for their children or students than to know Christ as their Savior.
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Father, your word is so profound.
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Often it says things simply and directly.
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And it is often the most simple things that cause us to think the most.
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And Father, as we have heard from your word this morning, that wisdom will guard us.
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And that wisdom will watch over us.
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Father, please place within our hearts a desire to learn.
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A desire to seek after wisdom.
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A desire to seek understanding.
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And Father, I pray for each of the children here who are in school.
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And I pray Lord that you would give them a heart that desires to know truth.
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Because all truth proceeds from you.
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All true wisdom, all true understanding proceeds from you.
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And I pray that these students would have a desire to gain it.
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I pray for their parents.
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Lord, we as parents indeed need your wisdom.
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Life is filled with many challenges.
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And there really isn't a manual that tells us about every single situation that we as parents are going to face.
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But we pray and ask that you would give us the wisdom to know how to train our children.
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Father, I pray for those who teach.
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Lord, give teachers your mind.
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Give them your understanding.
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Help us Lord to look at students as you see them.
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Give us the wisdom to inspire those who are in our charge.
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That Father, they might realize your calling for them.
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And strive to respond in obedience.
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Father, as we go forth from this place today.
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Give us hearts that want to know you.
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That want to obey you.
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That want to love and bless you.
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For it's in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ that we pray.
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Amen.